Tag Archives: New York City

Menswear, particularly men’s street wear, is something I find very interesting. I like looking at men and seeing the way they dress and what looks good on them. Construction workers in particular are a whole interesting group that deserve more attention than they get. They are gritty and dirty and real. Their clothes are a reflection of their work in the practicality of it. They seem to have their own definition of who they are. I don’t mean to talk about construction workers as a different species of human, it is a profession, and maybe to them it doesn’t define who they are. But in the same way you look at a group of business men and place a blanket statement over them, I look at construction workers and have something to say that I feel can apply to all of them.

Construction is everywhere in New York. The scaffolding in front of my school just came down a few months ago after being there for more than six years. Streets are being constantly torn up, facades of buildings being transformed, new ones being built. As much as the skyline seems to be constantly developing, one thing that never changes are the men who work on these projects. I’m talking about construction workers. We all know that famous photograph of a group of young men hanging from the metal interior of a building hundreds of feet above the ground. The men in that picture fall somewhere between impossibly cool and utterly foolish.

Although the general uniform has changed over the years, the general feeling that construction workers carry throughout their respective eras has not. I see them every day on the subway, everyday on my way to school. They are rugged, like an urban lumberjack. During the winter you see them trapped in layers of sweatshirts and long underwear, and during the summer they strip down to t-shirts, showing their bare arms. Their hands are calloused and broken. Some carry strong and slim torsos, others hold a belly of beer. In a world and in a time when gender and sexuality and identity are all so subjective, I believe that when you look at a construction worker you are looking at a man. Back to the olden days of Cowboys and Indians and Clint Eastwood. I don’t mean to put a whole group of people in a box, I’m not saying that this the rule, or even the truth, this is just my truth.

Construction workers carry a sense of pride with them, you can see it in the way they hold themselves. They are confident. They know exactly what they are capable of, and have a sense of proficiency. Even if their job is cutting 2 by 4s or nailing two pieces of wood together, they know what they are doing. They look put together because they’re style comes out of necessity. They don’t necessarily care how they look, but they have to wear certain things just for the mechanics of their job. Tighter fitting clothes so as not to get in the way, but loose enough that they can work in them.

In fashion you can find inspiration literally everywhere. I find it in the diverse culture of the people around me. Maybe you can find it in the architecture of buildings or the delicate shape of flower petals. Whatever it is make it yours. Keep it close to you and don’t worry about what everyone else is doing.

Sorry I haven’t really been able to update, Hurricane Sandy left us with no power and living so close to a Zone A neighborhood made it difficult to get any. I really shouldn’t complain considering how much better I have it than so many others (I’ll post some pictures at the end). I hope everyone else is safe or is receiving the help they need!

Since I haven’t been to class in a while I’m going to write about something different today; this post will be about things that inspire me. I’m just going to dive right into it.

What inspires me the most is really just the things in my every day life. I love New York City and the images it conjures up in my mind. As much as I say I hate it, I love walking through Times Square on my way to school each and every morning. I love the pedestrian traffic (unless I have somewhere to be). I love knowing that the people I am with on the subway right now I will never see again in my life. But, most of all, I love being able to surround myself with such artistic and interesting people. That’s where I draw most of my inspiration from. From my school where everyone is a performing artist to the classes I take at FIT, I’m constantly surrounded by people who are thriving and expressive.

When I find it difficult to find inspiration, I take a little “me time”, which a lot of people forget to do. It’s important to reflect and think about what’s going on in your daily life. In my Acting Technique classes, my teachers are always telling us that it’s impossible to play an emotion that you’ve never felt, which is why it is said that it takes twenty years to become a great actor. You can only talk about the things you know, and the same goes with expression. I always go back to what I am feeling and see how I can express it. It is also very therapeutic and can solve almost any problem. Even though graphic design might not express emotions in the same way that illustration does, it can still be a great problem solving technique.

I’ve tried to draw mostly with pen so that I can’t erase. It has helped me see that sometimes, things don’t have to look perfect. It depends on the context, but sometimes pieces can look their best in a more textured, sketchy style.

After class a few weeks ago, I went to my mom’s friend’s studio and she showed me things she used to make called “future boards.” She took pictures and words that described the kind of person that she wanted to be and put them on a board. Then she would work towards those goals and, later, look back on it to see what she has achieved since making the board. The goals can been short term or long term. I haven’t used this technique but it seems like a great way to keep track of progress or as a reminder of something to strive for.

These words shouldn’t be regarded as blanket statements. For some people the best art comes from things they want to experience and not emotions they have experienced, this is just what I’ve learned works for myself. I hope everyone can learn what works for them and develop their own ways to achieve inspiration.

What are ways you find inspiration?

Until next time,

Mai

The water was higher than the sidewalk. All of the people on the ground floor of my building complex have been forced to move out and everything in their house has been contaminated with toxic water.